Improvement in fire-escape ladders



W. WVGLARLB. A. & S. BOWMAN. Fire-Escape Laddder.

No. 203,119. Patented April 30,1878.

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' v I ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIc WILLIAM W. CLARK, BENJAMIN A. BOWMAN, AND SILAS BOWMAN, OF

KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ESCAPE LADDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 203,119, dated April 30, 1878 application filed February 16, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,WM. W. CLARK, BENJ. A. BOWMAN, and SILAS BOWMAN, of Kirksville, in the county of Adair and State of Missouri, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Fire-Escapes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of longitudinal vertical section of our fire-escape, and Fig; 2 is a plan view of the same.

The nature of our invention consists in certain improvements in a fire-escape, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The annexed drawing, to which reference is made, fully illustrates our invention.

A represents a bed or frame of any suitable dimensions, mounted upon wheels B B, so as to be easily and quickly moved from place to place. Upon this frame, at the front end, is erected an inclined frame, 0, contain-.

ing two windlasses, D and D, and two shafts, a. a, with pulleys b b and b b, respectively. There is also erected upon this bed or frame an extension-ladder, made in two sections. The lower section consists of two parallel side bars, F F, connected by a back, F, and their lower ends pivoted to the frame. 0n the front side the back F is provided with longitudinal strips d d, and transverse strips 0, between the strips 01 and the bars F, thus forming stepson each side, and an open space or slideway in the middle, for the purpose of sliding down trunks or other articles. The second section of the ladder, which is marked G, is to be constructed in the same manner, with steps on the sides and a slideway in the center; It is of such size as to slide between the side bars F F of the first section, to which it is held by pins 9 passing through slots fin said side bars. Both the sections are provided with railings I on the sides, and the upper section has a platform, H, at its upper end. On the back of the first section, in suitable hangers K K, is mounted a windlass, L, from. which cords or chains h h pass upward and over pulleys e 3, near the top of said first section, and then down in front thereof, and attached to the bottom of the second section, for raising and lowering the same.

The two sections F and G are, at their upper ends, provided, respectively, with cords or chains m m and m m, which pass over the pulleys b b and b 1) down to the windlasses D and I), by means of which the ladder can be held at any elevation desired.

The various windlasses are provided with suitable cranks, as well as with ratchet-wheels,

to hold the sections in the desired place.

The wagon is to be run up near a burning building, and the ladder then run up to a window, so that persons may safely descend. The ladder being closed, as shown, the descendingpersons are protected from any flames coming out through the windows below the one from which they descend.

The wheels are to be swiveled, so that the machine can be moved sidewise from one window to another.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The fire-escape having a closed sectional ladder, each section constructed to form a central slideway, with steps on each side thereof, and the railings on the sides, as shown and described.

In testimony that we claim the above we have hereunto subscribed our names in. the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. CLARK. BENJAMIN A. BOWMAN. SILAS BOWMAN.

Witnesses: V

H. F. MILLAN, W. N. COVER. 

